The present invention relates to polymer compositions having a specified pH to provide improved dispensing for wrinkle removal and/or reduction. The specified pH prevents staining of treated fabrics and methods for treating fabrics are provided in order to improve various properties of fabrics, in particular, reduction, removal, or prevention of unwanted wrinkles.
For preferred polymer compositions containing additional components it is particularly important to maintain the specified pH of the polymer compositions to maintain acceptable dispensing while also preventing precipitate formation during processing.
Wrinkles in textile fabrics are caused by the bending and creasing of the textile material which places an external portion of a filament in a yarn under tension while the internal portion of that filament in the yarn is placed under compression. Particularly with cotton fabrics, the hydrogen bonding that occurs between the cellulose molecules contributes to keeping wrinkles in place. The wrinkling of fabric, in particular clothing and certain household fabrics, is therefore subject to the inherent tensional elastic deformation and recovery properties of the fibers which constitute the yarn and fabrics.
In the modern world, with the increase of hustle and bustle and travel, there is a demand for a quick fix which will help to diminish the labor involved in home laundering and/or the cost and time involved in dry cleaning or commercial laundering. This has brought additional pressure to bear on textile technologists to produce a product that will sufficiently reduce wrinkles in fabrics, especially clothing and household fabrics, and to produce a good appearance through a simple, convenient application of a product.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,695, issued Nov. 12, 1996 to E. F. Targosz discloses an aqueous wrinkle removal composition containing a vegetable oil based cationic quaternary ammonium surfactant, and an anionic fluorosurfactant. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,268, issued Apr. 28, 1987 to Jacobson et al. discloses a wrinkle removal spray comprising an aqueous alcoholic composition containing a dialkyl quaternary ammonium salt and a silicone surfactant and/or a fluoro surfactant. U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,566, issued Mar. 31, 1992 to Agbomeirele et al., discloses a method of reducing wrinkles in fabric by spraying the fabric with an aqueous alcoholic solution of an anionic siliconate alkali metal salt. U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,254, issued Feb. 21, 1989 to J. A. Church discloses fabric wrinkle removal aqueous alcoholic solution containing glycerine and a nonionic surfactant. U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,023, issued Jul. 2, 1996 to Vogel, Wahl, Cappel and Ward discloses aqueous wrinkle control compositions containing silicone and film forming polymer.
In the present invention, wrinkle control in fabrics, including clothing, dry cleanables, linens, bed clothes, draperies, window curtains, shower curtains, table linens, and the like, is acheived without the need for ironing. The present invention can be used on wet, damp, or dry clothing to relax wrinkles and give clothes a ready to wear or use look that is demanded by today""s fast paced world. The present invention also essentially eliminates the need for touch up ironing usually associated with closet, drawer, and suitcase storage of garments.
An additional benefit of using polymer-based compositions in the present invention is that polymers provide improved benefits including any or all of the benefits named in the following list: garment shape, body, rewrinkle prevention, and/or crispness.
When ironing is desired however, preferred compositions of the present invention can also act as an excellent ironing aid. The present invention makes the task of ironing easier and faster by plasticizing fabric fibers and thus making it easier to work wrinkles out of the fabric. When used as an ironing aid, the compositions of the present invention help produce a crisp, smooth appearance, but also retaining a quality of softness.
The present invention relates to aqueous wrinkle reducing, removing and/or controlling compositions comprising polymer containing carboxylic acid moieties, that are preferably stable, well-dispersed opaque, translucent, or clear suspensions, dispersions, or solutions with the dispersed or solubilized polymer particulates being very small in particle size, that distribute evenly from dispensers to prevent staining. Specified pH solutions are acceptable if these have the low viscosity that is necessary to provide acceptable dispensing. The present invention also relates to preferred compositions containing, in addition to the essential carboxylic acid containing polymer and carrier, optional, but preferred ingredients, e.g. polyalkylene oxide polysiloxane, fabric care polysaccharides, odor control components, solvent, and minors such as perfume and preservative, adjusted to a specified pH to provide both good dispensing properties and improved stability to shear forces (e.g. stirring during processing or shaking that occurs during transit). The present invention further relates to methods of formulating such compositions, as well as fabric wrinkle control methods and articles of manufacture that comprise such fabric wrinkle controlling compositions. The fabric wrinkle control compositions typically comprise:
(A) an effective amount to control wrinkles in fabric of a polymer preferably selected from the group of polymers comprising carboxylic acid moieties that can be suspended, dispersed or solubilized at a specified pH range to produce a solution with a viscosity lower than the viscosity of that polymer composition at a pH above the specified pH range and with the viscosity of the solution preferably below about 20 centipoise (xe2x80x9ccPxe2x80x9d), more preferably below about 15 cP, even more preferably below about 12 cP, even more preferably below about 10 cP, still more preferably below about 7 cP and most preferably below about 3 cP, with the polymer incorporated at a level that is at least about 0.001%, preferably at least about 0.01%, and more preferably at least about 0.05%, and still more preferrably at least about 0.1% and even more preferably at least about 0.25% and most preferrably at least about 0.5% and at a level of no greater than about 25%, more preferably no greater than about 10%, even more preferably no greater than about 7%, and still more preferably no greater than about 5% by weight of the usage composition; mixtures of polymers are also acceptable in the present composition; and
(B) carrier, preferably water.
The preferred polymer compositions of the present invention can optionally further comprise:
(A) optionally, but preferably, silicone compounds and/or emulsions. Silicone compounds that impart lubricity and softness are highly preferred. Silicones that reduce surface tension are also highly preferred. A preferred class of silicone materials includes silicones modified with alkylene oxide moieties compounds; mixtures of silicones that provide desired benefits are also acceptable in the present composition;
(B) optionally, an effective amount of a supplemental wrinkle control agent selected from the group consisting of (1) adjunct polymer (2) fabric care polysaccharides, (3) lithium salts, (4) fiber fabric lubricants, and (5) mixtures thereof;
(C) optionally, an effective amount of a supplemental surface tension control agent;
(D) optionally, an effective amount to soften fibers and/or polymer of hydrophilic plasticizer wrinkle control agent;
(E) optionally, but preferably, at least an effective amount to absorb or reduce malodor, of odor control agent;
(F) optionally, but preferably, an effective amount to provide olfactory effects of perfume;
(G) optionally, an effective amount of solubilized, water-soluble, antimicrobial preservative, preferably from about 0.0001% to about 0.5%, more preferably from about 0.0002% to about 0.2%, most preferably from about 0.0003% to about 0.1%, by weight of the composition;
(H) optionally, an effective amount to adjust and control pH of a pH adjustment system;
(I) optionally, other ingredients such as adjunct odor-controlling materials, chelating agents, viscosity control agents, additional antistatic agents if more static control is desired, insect and moth repelling agents, colorants, whiteness preservative; anti-clogging agents; and;
(J) mixtures of optional components (A) through (I).
The present compositions are preferably essentially free of materials that would soil or stain fabric under usage conditions, or preferably free of materials at a level that would soil or stain fabrics unacceptably under usage conditions.
The present invention also relates to concentrated compositions, including liquid, fluid and solid forms of concentrated compositions that may be diluted to form compositions with the usage concentrations for use under usage conditions. It is preferred that the concentrated compositions be delivered in forms that rapidly and smoothly dissolve or disperse to the usage concentration.
The present invention further relates to a method of making the present compositions.
The present invention also relates to articles of manufacture comprising the present compositions incorporated into a container, such as a spray dispenser, that can facilitate treatment of articles and/or surfaces with said compositions containing wrinkle control agent and other optional ingredients at a level that is effective, yet is not discernible when dried on the surfaces. The spray dispenser comprises manually activated and non-manual powered (operated) spray means and a container containing the wrinkle controlling composition.
The present invention also relates to the combining the composition with a substrate and/or device capable of containing said composition for release at a desirable time in a fabric treatment process to create an article of manufacture. Such articles of manufacture can facilitate treatment of fabric articles and/or surfaces with said pH adjusted polymer compositions containing wrinkle control agent and other optional ingredients at a level that is effective, yet not discernible when dried on the surfaces of said fabric. The article of manufacture can operate in mechanical devices designed to alter the physical properties of articles and/or surfaces such as, but not limited to, a clothes dryer or mechanical devices designed to spray fabric care compositions on fabrics or clothes.
The present article of manufacture can further comprise a set of instructions to communicate methods of using the present compositions to the consumer. When articles of manufacture comprise devices or substrates that dispense the said composition, preferred devices or substrates will disperse the said composition in a uniform manner so as to minimize staining.
The present invention also comprises the use of small particle diameter droplets of the present compositions to treat fabrics, in order to provide superior performance, e.g., the method of applying the compositions to fabrics, etc. as very small particles (droplets) preferably having weight average diameter particle sizes (diameters) of from about 5 xcexcm to about 250 xcexcm, more preferably from about 10 xcexcm to about 120 xcexcm, and even more preferably from about 20 xcexcm to about 100 xcexcm.